Lost and Found
by Palaemon77
Summary: Future!fic set 16 years after the events of OMW. Dave met the love of his life in college, married and had a son - only to be a widower six years later. A week before his son's 8th birthday, he runs into Kurt - literally. Only, was it an accident? (This story was part ofthe Kurtofsky gift exchange - mentions of past Sebofsky. I want to flesh out this story more in future chapters)


"Max – slow down." Dave Karofsky called to his son. They were on a busy Chicago sidewalk heading toward the café for lunch. It had been mostly silence from his son since their talk the evening before. Apparently, Max had been doing poorly in school over the last few weeks, but Dave had marked it up to either an adjustment period from regular classes to advanced classes or just plain boredom.

At the beginning of the school year, Max's grades had suffered, and it was eventually learned that he wasn't being challenged enough. Over the course of the last month or so, Max's mood had changed. Dave tried everything; he even set up a meeting with their grief counselor, but she said it most likely wasn't that. It was common for children with a recently deceased parent to act out or show signs of depression, but she didn't think it was related to that. It had been more than eighteen months since Mike had died, and almost nine months since she's stopped treating either of them.

Dave was about at his wit's end, and just wanted a day out with his son, so they were headed to his son's favorite restaurant, the Fatted Calfé. It may not sound like a good place to eat, but it was the source for the best burgers in town.

Currently, Dave was distracted between his son's obstinance and his best friend chatting in his ear. Sometimes Dave wished that he could leave his ear piece at home, but in his line of work, it was necessary. Besides, it was the optical implant monitors that were the most intrusive. Sure, you could see who you were talking to, but it was distracting, dangerous or just plain rude. It was great for visual information though. He could access facts and statistics about his surroundings just by looking at them. He could literally see wireless signals. If Dave hadn't helped to develop the technology, he would have thought it was something out of science fiction.

"Seb – I gotta go, we're almost to the restaurant." Dave said.

"...but you didn't tell me how it went last night." Sebastian said.

Sebastian Smythe had become a great friend to Dave after he transferred to Dalton to finish out his senior year. He even convinced Dave to join the Warblers, after hearing the ex-footballer sing. Dave could still remember the scene. Sitting in his dorm room, Dave was joined by Sebastian, then Trent, then Jeff, then all the Warblers. Led by Sebastian, they sang 'Some Nights.' It was just what he needed. The lyrics just spoke to him. He had felt so alone, like he was the only one that felt that way.

Seb also used his father's influence to get Dave into MIT. Although, he needed Sebastian's help getting acceptance into MIT, Dave flourished there all on his own. He eventually landed a position as senior security officer of a government agency. That's what prompted the move to Chicago. One of the recent big initiatives was to spread these new agents out beyond Washington D.C. Chicago was a pretty big change from Boston. One had a smalltown feel while the other was the third largest city in the United States.

Dave thought Boston was a great town; of course while he was going to college there, he met his future husband, Mike Donovan. They both frequented a sports bar on Beacon Street called The Pitbull. It was a mixed bar with a rather large gay crowd. It was a whirlwind romance in a way. Meeting Mike and being away from the small-mind mentality of Lima really helped Dave come into his own. Mike shared similar qualities to Kurt with regards to being who he was and unashamed of it. He helped further Dave's growth and confidence in his sexuality, of course Sebastian also helped with that later part senior year – sometimes twice a night. Mike and Dave were married a year and a half after they graduated from their respected colleges, and Max was born two years later.

Max was amazing and bright beyond his years. Some would even call him a genius, and that simultaneously thrilled and terrified Dave. Mike was quick to realize that a three-year-old was still a three-year-old regardless of intelligence. It was weird in a way, but even though biologically Dave was Max's father, Mike seemed more like the parent. Dave was more like the fun uncle, the one that would challenge Max intellectually - something the kid thrived upon. That boy excelled at anything electronic. As a matter of fact, for his seventh birthday last year, Max got to help Dave design software to run on a prototype tablet - one that was made of a special kind of plastic that enlarged and shrank as the needs of the user changed.

Next week would be Max's eighth birthday, and Dave hoped to have something equally fun, but first he'd have to find out what was going on with his son. The school said Max wasn't getting along with some of his class mates, but Dave had asked his son if there were any problems at school, and Max denied any. Dave thought about mentioning what his teachers said, but figured Max would just continue denying everything, so he decided on the 'parent-as-a-friend approach.' Maybe he'd open up to a friend where he wouldn't to a parent.

With everything that was going on with Max, Dave felt a little guilty about going on a blind date last night, but as Sebastian said, he was lonely. He missed not only Mike but the companionship, partnership. Mike would know how to get Max to open up.

The date was almost doomed before it started. First off, the guy was obviously more Sebastian's type. He was like an underwear model with the IQ to match. Sure, he was pretty, and seemed to like Dave - with the groping during the movie, but he seemed put off by Max. Not Max himself, but the idea of a child.

Up ahead, Dave could see that Max had entered the restaurant, and was just about to hang up with Sebastian.

"Okay, so Francois wasn't 'the one'," Dave could almost hear the air quotes through his ear piece, "but what didn't you like? What is it you're looking for in a man?"

Just as Dave was about to move to enter the building, something coming toward him caught his ocular implant. His display was showing a faint tracking signal coming from an individual walking toward him. The guy was rifling through his satchel looking for something. Even without seeing his face full on, the guy seemed familiar. His hair was auburn, his skin had a smooth creamy glow, and...well...Dave was so mesmerized that he forgot to move out of the guy's way and he collided into Dave.

There were a bunch of sensations all at once. As he ran into Dave, the guy instinctually grabbed ahold as to not to fall down, and Dave did the same. The man's forearms were soft skin covered sinewy muscle. His hair that lightly brushed Dave's nose smelled like the tropics themselves. Then the man raised his head to see who or what he'd run into.

His eyes were the most perfect bluish green. They were like looking into the Caribbean Sea. They were beautiful. They were...Kurt's.

"Kurt." Dave said it like a statement, but it was definitely a question.

"What does that mean - you're looking for Kurt?" Dave heard in his ear. "Kurt who?"

Dave was just as speechless as Kurt.

"Dave." Sebastian said to get his attention.

Dave turned to the side with his finger up to his ear piece, "I have to go," as he disconnected the call.

"Sorry...I was...on the phone." Dave said not sure if he should smile.

Kurt made the decision easier as he smiled and said, "No...no...it was my fault, I was...looking…" Kurt resumed looking through his bag, "...for my phone...I know it's in here..."

Dave smiled back and looked Kurt up and down, and then leaned over to look at Kurt's back, where that faint tracking signal. It was obviously coming from Kurt's phone, located in his back pocket. Dave just pointed tentatively to Kurt's butt, and muttered, "Your uh...It's..."

Kurt seemed to be taken off guard a little at the perceived forwardness of his old friend, but Dave thought Kurt probably also knew how great he looked in those jeans. "Thank you for noticing...they do cost a lot, but I get so many compliments..."

That made Dave smile. He forgot how confident and sexy Kurt could be. "No...I mean..." Kurt's smile dropped a little. Dave wasn't trying to say he didn't look great, so he corrected, "Yes…I mean..." Dave silently chided himself for reacting like his seventeen-year-old former self. "I mean your phone is in your back pocket."

With a slightly confused look on his face, Kurt reached around to his back pocket and felt the familiar shape sitting snugly where Dave had motioned.

"Wha-how did you know it was there?" Kurt asked with a puzzled look.

Pointing to his eye, Dave started, "Ocul-" before being cut off my Max opening the restaurant door.

"Dad - you coming?" the seven-nearly-eight-year-old said.

"Yeah - just get us a table...wait… uhh..." Dave motioned to Kurt, "Did you want to join us?" Not giving Kurt time to answer, "I'm sure you're busy...I'm sure you probably already have plans. If course you have plans…" Dave was babbling and he knew it, so he just paused to let Kurt speak.

Kurt's face just broke into a huge grin, like he was flattered at Dave's inability to speak around him. "Actually… I'd love to," Kurt said still smiling at Dave's awkwardness.

"Really?" Dave said smiling back in surprise.

"Yes. I mean, you have a son...David Karofsky is a father...I have got to know how that happened." Kurt said moving through the door still being held open by Max.

During their meal, Kurt explained how he'd tried and failed at a music career and was now a music instructor with a second degree in fashion merchandising. He loved teaching more than he ever thought he would. Dave told Kurt that he worked in security and explained about how he'd married Mike several years earlier, when it became legal in all fifty states. Kurt said he'd heard about Dave's marriage and Mike's eventual death, through Blaine. Dave said he got the condolence card and remembered that Blaine and Sebastian had remained friends, mostly through social media. Dave told Kurt about how Max was born through a surrogate. He thought the idea of Sebastian's sister being the egg donor was appalling until Dave showed him pictures of her and shared some video from the day of Max's birth. He could see why Dave would want her as a donor.

Besides being beautiful even at nine months pregnant, she shared very little of Sebastian's obnoxious qualities. She was kind and selfless beyond words. Dave and Mike had always wanted her to be a part of Max's life, and they insisted Max always know who she was and how she was related, but she insisted that she wasn't his mom. She felt that took away from the family they were building.

When Mike died, she ended up spending a lot more time with Max. She was there for Dave as well. They often shared secrets and insecurities. He found out that she once had a crush on her cousin, Ryan. Dave confessed to her the events on and around Valentine's Day of his senior year. She thought it was awful what the students did, but thought it was brave to confess his possible love for a boy he honestly barely knew. He told her that he learned through his therapist that it was most likely a crush. She said that people call one-sided love 'a crush,' but she thought of as more of a challenge. She often thought Mike was sort of the beginning of Dave's story, but she then she realized that his journey really started with Kurt. If Kurt was the boy that helped Dave set the events in motion that made him the man he was today, she thought Dave needed to 'get out there and find his Kurt.' Even though she was speaking figuratively, she thought he needed to get back out there and find someone with that kind of strength. It wasn't that Dave didn't have that on his own, but Kurt once helped Dave push through and be the person he was meant to be - even if he didn't know it.

That was what he was thinking on his date the previous night with Francois. That guy wasn't going to inspire anyone to do anything except maybe take their pants off. He was hoping he'd find his figurative Kurt but today the fates threw literalness at him.

After they were finished eating, Dave noticed that Max hadn't put down his tablet once during his meal. While Dave had an Angus burger, Kurt had the black 'n bleu salad and Max had his favorite, mac-n-cheeseburger. Dave thought it tasted like a cheeseburger hamburger helper. Kurt was appalled that Dave even knew what that tasted like.

"What? I don't really cook, so...we eat out a lot." Dave confessed.

"That is so sad," Kurt started before looking toward Max, "I bet you'd like more home-cooked meals, huh Max?" But Max didn't acknowledge the question. Kurt tried to peer over to see what Max was working so hard on, "What is that? Pipe fish?" Dave knew that was a popular game with grade school kids and was way below Max's radar.

That got Max's attention. Dave had already told Kurt briefly about how Max was entering high school next year, in a form of advanced classes. Dave thought it was funny that Kurt was trying to get a rise out of Max since he'd basically ignored the adults all throughout lunch.

"Uck..." Max said finally, pausing what he was doing and looking up disgustedly at Kurt, "Pipe Fish? Are you kidding me?"

"Oh - I'm sorry...are you still on Pipe Fish Jr.?" Kurt mocked back.

"Dad." Max whined.

"Max, I think Mr. Hummel was just giving you trouble for ignoring his question." Dave said.

Upon realizing that he had been rude, Max said, "I'm sorry Mr. Hummel. That was rude. I'm just doing some homework."

Kurt just raised his eyebrows in surprise. He'd probably not seen that kind of devotion to homework by any of his students, Dave thought. He looked at Dave and motioned to Max and asked, "What's he working on?"

Dave was so lost in thought about the fact he was having lunch with Kurt Hummel that he almost didn't hear the question himself. He was still a little awestruck. "Uhh...it's uhh...circumvention tactics..." "Why am I acting like a bafoon?," Dave wondered.

"That...sounds...like hacking." Kurt said, his eyes a little widened.

"Counter-hacking, actually." Max added.

"Counter hacking?" Kurt asked.

"It's a project I'm working on." Dave clarified.

"I thought you said you were in security." Kurt said.

"I am...just more on a more advanced level...I set up these tests for him...tests that no one should be able to break...but...he does..." Dave stopped.

"That is way over my head...wow...I bet he does great in school."

Dave proceeded to explain that Max was having problems lately hoping it would spur talking, but it didn't.

After talking a bit more about what they'd been up to since high school, Kurt needed to go to the restroom. As soon as Kurt was away from the table, Max asked, "Did you see the tracking signal?"

"Yeah – Damn. I meant to ask about that." Dave said; his eyebrows now furrowed.

"Well, whoever's tracking him just walked in," Max said. Dave looked at his son who glanced up at a man looking around the restaurant, rather obviously, before moving in the direction of the bathrooms.

Dave instantly wanted to pummel this guy, but honestly it wasn't any of his business...until Max added, "When you do, ask Mr. Hummel if he knows his phone has an illegal tracer on it."

"Max – did you just say that man is illegally tracking Kurt?" Dave said motioning to the man that was quickly making his way now toward the restroom.

"Yep. Richard Gonzales." Max added.

Dave clenched his fists into balls and nearly growled, "Get rid of that tracer..now."

Just that fast, Dave was up and bounded after the man.

He caught up with the man mere steps before reaching the men's room. Dave used surprise and his brute strength to shove the man into the adjacent women's room, the door slammed hard against the adjacent wall before closing behind them.

Kurt had just finished washing his hands and had waved them under the dryer when he heard a hard slam just outside the restroom. He quickly dried them before peering out the door. He couldn't see anything, but he thought he heard what had to be the most masculine women yelling at each other in the women's room.

Making it back to the table, he noticed that Dave wasn't there.

"Where's your dad?" Kurt asked as he sat back down.

"Why does Richard Gonzales have a tracker on you?" Max asked, looking up from his tablet.

In an instant, it sunk in, those weren't women making that commotion, it was Dave and Richard fighting.

By the time Kurt made it back to the restrooms, a crowd had gathered, and Dave was dragging an unconscious Richard from the restroom, holding up an official-looking badge, "It okay folks, I'm a Federal Marshal - this man is under arrest...agents are on their way."

Kurt was shocked and a little afraid, "David...Richard is...FBI...you just assaulted an FBI agent."

"Ex-FBI...Richard Gonzales...aka...Rico Estevez...is wanted for six counts of espionage and three counts of coercion..." Dave saw the look on Kurt's face. It was embarrassment, relief and fear. It was right then that it came together for Dave. Estevez was forcing Kurt into this meeting. He had sent Kurt to 'run into' Dave. Knowing their past, Dave would let his guard down and Kurt could funnel information to him.

When Dave looked at Kurt right then, he seemed fearful and almost anxious. At first, Dave was unsure why Kurt seemed so afraid, but then it dawned on him, Rico would undoubtedly name Kurt as an accomplice. And that's the thing, it was obvious that it wasn't his choice. When Max sent him the info about Rico's tracker, it was tagged as a stealth tracker. Kurt's tracer shouldn't have been visible. That means that Kurt was most likely trying to set up a trap for Rico, or at least he was trying to help Dave figure it out. The misplaced phone...that wasn't an accident. He was making sure that Dave had a chance to find the tracer. He wasn't trying to set up Dave; he was trying to set up Rico. Dave needed to confirm what he knew was the truth.

"...or is it four counts of coercion?" Kurt's eyes welled up, and he nodded. Dave walked up to Kurt, who was still tearful. "shhh...It's okay...I figured it out. You're safe now."

Kurt couldn't contain the tears now, "I'm so sorry David...I didn't want to...but…you know …you know I never..." He couldn't finish over the tears.

"shhh...I know...I know." Dave said, pulling Kurt close. Kurt rested his head on Dave's shoulder and sniffed. "I've always known that I..."

Then suddenly Dave's mouth was covered in soft, tender lips. Kurt's mouth was warm and moist. Dave couldn't help to bring his hand up to Kurt's jaw. He could feel Kurt's muscles flex as he moved in a little deeper. Dave let out a moan that was unavoidable. It was soft enough that only Kurt heard it, but he couldn't stop it.

As Kurt pulled away, the skin on his cheeks was slightly reddened, not from embarrassment but from arousal. That made Dave smile.

"Thank you." Kurt said, referring to either the kiss or the understanding.

Either way, that's when Dave knew...he finally found his Kurt…


End file.
